Welcome to Reception
Staff – Miss Turner, Mrs Lacey and Mrs Fisher
A very warm welcome to the Reception class page where you can find out all the information you need to support your child’s learning at home. This is the year that children work towards achieving their early learning goals and children are expected to make great leaps in their learning. Reception is also the time that the children are entering ‘big school’ and there is an expectation for them to show positive behaviour at all times. Reception is such an important year for your child and all of the children have made a wonderful start to the term and I am sure this will continue throughout the year. The transition into reception has gone really smoothly and children are all very excited to be in their new class. They all look wonderful in their new uniforms and are eager to learn. We hope you visit this page often to see the progress your children are making and see how much fun they are having. We are looking forward to working with you and your children. We welcome you to contact us for any information or to answer any questions you may have that are not addressed in our welcome page.
Please bring your P.E kits into school and leave them for the term. We will send the PE kits home on the last day of term to be washed.
Snack money is £1 a week.
Useful Information
Curriculum
At St. Marie’s Catholic Primary School, we believe that parents are our partners in every step of a child’s learning journey. This page has been created to give you a clear picture of what your child will be learning throughout the year. By sharing our curriculum with you, we hope to strengthen the link between school and home, ensuring that every child receives the very best support as they grow and achieve their potential.
Here, you will find our half-termly learning journeys. These documents outline the key topics, subjects, and skills that your child will be exploring during the half term. They are designed to give you an insight into classroom learning so that you feel confident in supporting and encouraging your child at home.
We encourage you to use the learning journeys as a guide to spark conversations, explore new ideas together, and celebrate your child’s progress. Whether it’s asking about a story they have read, practising number facts, or talking about the world around them, every little interaction makes a difference.
Thank you for taking the time to engage with our curriculum. Together, we can inspire curiosity, nurture confidence, and ensure that every child thrives as part of our St. Marie’s family.
Class Information
Snack
Children are provided with a snack and milk everyday. Snack costs £1 per week per child and is payable at the beginning of every week. Please ensure that you keep up to date with your snack money.
Lunch Time
All reception children are entitled to a FREE school meal. If your child is having a school dinner please look at the menu and discuss the choices with them so that they can decide what they would like. Children will choose their lunch during morning register and picture prompts will be provided to support children in their choice.
Attendance and Punctuality
It is important that your child has good attendance as the government sets a requirement of 98% attendance throughout the school year. It is also important that your child arrives on time as this minimises disruption to both their learning and to the classroom. Please make sure that your child arrives to school on time. If your child is going to be absent, please ring school to let us know.
Uniform
Please ensure your child has the correct uniform and that each item is clearly labelled, including their coat and P.E. Kit. Their school uniform is a reflection on the class, especially when we are out of school or when we have visitors into the classroom. For P.E we ask that children have the school blue t-shirt, black or navy shorts and black pumps. We request that children come to school in their uniform and bring their PE kit in a bag which can be left in school for the term. This will then be sent home half termly to be washed. Our P.E day is Thursday.
Reading Books
Reading is a vital part of your child’s education and reading with your child at home is a lovely way to spend quality time with them. Children can also read with their older siblings. We suggest that children read each night and practice their sounds to support their learning in school. Please encourage them to sound out unfamiliar words and read with fluency and expression. Children will have reading books changed weekly, please make a comment in your child’s reading record and return this with the reading book. If the reading record is not signed we will assume that your child has not read their book at home yet and therefore it will not not be changed that week.
We also have a login for each child to read their RWI books online at home. You will be provided with your child’s information when they start in September.
Water
Children are encouraged to drink water throughout the day in the classroom. Please ensure your child comes to school with a water bottle, preferably labelled with their name.
Inhalers/Prescribed Medicine
If your child needs an inhaler, could you please send it in with a name label and instructions on when to take it. All parents must sign a medical consent form in the main reception to authorise any medicines to be administered by staff.
Stay and Play
At St Marie’s Primary School, our aim is to create a happy and secure environment, where children will develop confidence and an eagerness to learn. We recognise that as parents/guardians, you are an important educator in your child’s life and it is our wish to begin to create positive partnerships with families from the outset. We have introduced Stay & Play sessions and we welcome all family members, including; Mums, Dads, Partners, Grandparents and Carers etc. You are invited to stay and play with your children as we value your support and recognise the importance of partnership with parents.
Benefits of Stay and Play Sessions
Stay & Play sessions give you the opportunity to see your child interact with other children and learn through play in a relaxed environment. Staff will set up activities following the children’s interests and parents/carers can come along and take part in the activities, learn new skills and ideas for learning at home through play. You will also have the opportunity to find out about school life and ask any questions
To keep you informed about all of the wonderful things that happen in Reception, we will be uploading a newsletter to our class page every month. We are so looking forward to working with you and your child this year. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us. – Reception Team